x     ballot



Patented Feb'. 13, 1940 uNrr rss;

BALLo'r Charles W. Foster, Kansas City, Mo. Application any 18,1938, serial No. 219,719

6 Claims.

My invention4 relates to improvements in ballots. It relates particularly toballots thatmay be prepared by the voters and mailed by them to the proper officials.

5i counting mechanically by usual vote counting machines; which of itself `provides the means by which the voter may apply his nger prints to the ballot for identification purposes; and

Y which may be easily and quickly prepared by the voter for mailing or casting in a receptacle therefor.

The novel features of my inventionare hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of iny invention,

Fig. l is aplan view of my improved ballot before it has been operated uponjby the voter who is to cast it, ythe guard iiap being shown in the open position, 4 Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2*-2 off Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l, the finger moistening padhaving been removed from the ballot, as have been the tabs oppositethenames ci" candidates voted for; the voters nger prints being shown applied to the ballot; the guard nap being shown in solid lines in the open position, and shown in dotted lines in the closed or tab covering position. V`

Fig. 4 is a section on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, vshowing the ballot in properform for casting or mailing. n

ySimilar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

i designates a base sheet of suitable material, as cardboard cr heavy paper, and which has dimensions suitable for accommodating the names of the candidates to be voted for; the information that it is desired to impart; and the finger prints of the voter. 50 In a colurnnon the'front of the base sheet l are printed the names ci the candidates spaced apart one name above `the other, as A. Jones, B Long, 0. Gray, D,'Cook, EL Nash, and E Paine.

- 55 The base sheet i has extending through it holes Some of the objects of my invention are toprO- (crzsa-s) v i '-L 2, longitudinally alined and disposed at the left of and respectively opposite the' names of the candidates.

Mounted upon the base'sheet l and covering the holes 2 is a second sheet 3 of paper or other suitable material, which in its right edge portion is provided with a longitudinal row of detachable tabs 4, which project from the right edge of the sheet 3, so as to be easily gripped for detachnient` purposes. The tabs 4 `are disposed respeci0 tively over and cover the holes 2, the latter being opened upon the detachment of the tabs. The upper, lower and left edges of the tabs `il are demarcatedifrcm the rest of the sheet 3 `by lines of perforations 5, to enable the easy detachment 15 of the tabs, the under sides of whichare not fas' tened to the base sheet i, excepting as being a part vof the sheet 3. Y p' To vote for a candidate, the voter detaches u the tab ll opposite tothe name of the candidate.` 20 Thus, as shown' in Fig. 3, the tabs 4 opposite the names respectively of Long, Gfray4 Cook, and Paine have been detached, show` ing that the candidatesjhaving these names have been voted for. The tabs li opposite the names Jones and Nash not having'been removed, the candidates having these two names have not` been voted for.

To prevent yany felonious tampering with the tabs 4, after the voter has cast his ballot, the 30 sheet 3 is provided in itsleft portion with a iiap t, whichis connected with that portion of the sheet 3 mounted onthe base sheet |`,\by a weakened' portion indicated by `the dotted lines 'l adjacent to` and parallel with the left edge of 35 the base sheet l. This weakening along the lines l may be effected by so creasing the sheet 3 as.

to enable the flap 6 to fold flatly over and upon the front of the base sheet I, `as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and in solid lines in Fig, 4. o A

vTo seal the iiap ii in this closed or covering position, its upper and lower and left edge portions, on the side `which is to be next .to `the sheet l, has a coatingof muscilage, which, on

. being nioistened, and the ap pressed at its edges against the sheet 3 and the base sheet l, will securely seal the flap to the two sheetS, and will prevent vfelonious access to the space covered by the fla-p when in said closed position.`

In order that the automatic machines which are used to count Votes, in the usual manner,A the nap ii is provided therethrough with a longitudinal row of holes, which, when the iiap 5 is sealed in the'closed4 position,` as shown in Fig. 4, will aline with the row of holes 2 and will 55 i respectively register therewith, thus enabling the vote counting machine to properly operate upon the ballot when it has been cast. The tabs which have not been detached, will close the holes which they overlie, and thus prevent the vote counting machine registering votes for the names opposite such closed holes.

The ap 6 may be opaque ortransparent, as desired. If transparent, it may be noted at a glance without detachment of the ap 6, what candidates on the ballot have been voted for. The term transparent" as herein used, means sufficiently clear to enable the noting of the vpresence or absence of ltabs by looking throughv the ap.

For identification purposes, a space Il) is provided on the front of the base sheet I, above the candidatesL names, for the inscription thereon of the voters official voting number, as No. 67,058.

For nger print identification of the voter, there are provided on the front of the base sheet I at the right ofthe candidates names, two columns of ve spaces, II, each. These spaces II are surface treated with any one of the usual nger printing material, as iinger printing ink, that is adapted to be used in connection and to cooperate with another commonly used finger printing liquid, with which a pad l2 is moistened. The pad I2 is mounted upon the front of the base sheet I at the right edge portion thereof, and next adjacent to the right column of nger print spaces II.

The base sheet I between the portion carrying the pad I2 and the adjacent spaces I I is weakened by a longitudinal line of perforations I3, Figs.

1 and 2, whereby the pad and the portion of the marked Thumb, and R. I-Iand, and the spaces above being marked 2nd, 3rd, 4th and th, and intended to receive the prints of the fingers of the right hand, as indicated by the marks. The rightcolumn of spaces are similarly marked to designate a similar application of the prints of the ingers of the left hand thereto. In Fig. 3, the circles I4 in the spaces II respectively represent the nger prints that have been made on said spaces.

In voting the ballot, the voter first detaches the tabs 1I from opposite the names of the candidates for whom he desires to vote. He then moistens the mucilage coating 8 on the flap B,

and folds andy seals the flap to the front side of the base sheet I and the sheet 3, thus covering the tabs remaining, theholes from over which tabs have been removed, and the names of the candidates.

The holes 9 in the nap 6 will register with the holes 2 from over which the tabs have been removed, so that the votes cast may be machine counted without removing the flap 6.

The voter then moistens the ngers of his hands on the pad I2, and applies them in the manner already described to the chemical treated spaces I I, thereby afxing his nger prints, designated by IIS on Fig. 3, on the ballot. The voter then detaches the pad l2 and its supporting part of the base sheet I along the perforations I3. The ballot may then be mailed or cast into a receptacle designed to receive it.

The ballot can be counted by the usual type of vote counting machine, which operates to count the votes through holes in the ballot.

It is preferable to employ the separated linger printing materials on the spaces II and the pad I2, as described, as the materials commonly used together in this manner will not separately make indelible marks, and smearing Ywith the ngers will be eliminated. I-Iowever, if desired, the pad I2 may be moistened with a usual nger printing ink. and this ink employed alone for moistening the lingers to be printed on the ballot. In such case, preliminary treatment of the spaces I I may be dispensed with..

With either of these two methods employed, the ballot, of itself, provides the means for making thenger prints thereon.

In place of counting the votes with a machine, they, of course, can be counted by noting the perforations which extend clear through the flap and base sheet.

For treating the spaces II and for moistening the pad I2, the materials. commonly used by the Government operatives and those of police departments may be employed.

For example, the spaces I I may be treated with tannic acid, the pad moistened with a soluble salt of vanadium, such as sulphate of vanadium.

Other modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A ballot comprising in combination a base sheet having inscribed thereon the names of candidates, and having holes through said sheet respectively opposite said names, removable tabs on the front of said sheet respectively covering said holes, and a ap attached to said sheet and adapted to be swung to and from a position in which it will cover said tabs and holes and having means for being sealed to said sheet in said closed position to prevent felonious access to the space covered by said flap.

2. A ballot comprising in combination a base sheet having inscribed thereon the names of candidates, and having holes through said sheet respectively opposite said names, removable tabs on the front of said sheet respectively covering said holes, and a flap attached to said sheet and adapted to be swung to and from a position in which it will cover said tabs and holes and having means for being sealed to said sheet in said closed position to prevent felonious access to the space covered by said flap, said ilap having holes therethrough which, when said flap is in said position, respectively register with said holes in said sheet.

3. A ballot comprising in combination a base sheet having inscribed thereon the names of candidates, and holes through said sheet respectively opposite said names, removable tabs on the front of said sheet respectively covering said holes, and a transparent flap attached to said sheet and adapted to be swung to and from a position covering said tabs and holes and having means for being sealed to said sheet in said closed position to prevent felonious access to the space covered by said flap, when in said position.

4. A ballot comprising in combination a base sheet having inscribed thereon the names of candidates, and holes through said. sheet respectively opposite said names, removable tabs on the front of' said sheet respectively covering said holes, and an opaque ap attached to said sheet and adapted didates and holes through said sheet respectivelyrv opposite said names, and a second sheetfastened to the front `side of said base sheet `and having tabs respectively covering said holes and having weakened attachment to said second sheet to enable their easy detachment therefrom, said second sheet having a flap adapted to be swung tion. l

to and from a position covering said tabs and `said holes and having means for being sealed in said positionto prevent felonious access to the space covered by said ap, when in said posisheet having inscribed thereon the names of can- 6. A ballot comprising in combination a base didates and holes through said sheet respectively opposite to said names, and a second sheet fastened to the front side of said base sheet and having tabs respectively covering said holes and l having weakened attachment to said second sheet to enable their easy detachment therefrom, said' second sheet having a iiap adapted to be swung to and from a position covering said tabs `ariel holes and having means for 'being sealed in said position to prevent felonious access to the space covcred by said ap when in said position, said flap having holes therethrough which, when said ap is in said position, respectively register with said holes in'said base sheet. A i

` CHARLES W. FOSTER. 

